Chapter 223 Extra 4 [Extra]

Sheng Jiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Miss Gu is really... well, fierce?

Shen Xu remained noncommittal.

Bang!

A series of crisp sounds of dishes falling and breaking came from next door, followed by something heavy falling to the ground.

"Oh, my lord, are you hurt? Let me help you up."

"My lord, please have a seat."

"Mr. An. I am not, not drunk."

Mr. An advised, "My lord, the Emperor's treatment of you is... well, it's unbearable. You are his maternal uncle, yet he hasn't even granted you a title of nobility. It's clear he doesn't treat you like an uncle."

The emperor's brother-in-law would typically be granted a title such as "Duke of Cheng'en" or "Duke of Feng'en," which was not hereditary. Those with titles like the Marquis of Qingyuan would also receive an additional title of "Meng'en" for their second son. This was a common practice throughout history.

The alcohol intensified the Marquis of Qingyuan's resentment, and he blurted out without restraint, "Since he ascended the throne, he's been leaving me hanging like this. Doesn't he even remember that his mother's surname is Rong? Rong! Just because I have no face, does he have any?!"

"Shameless..."

"My lord!" Someone in his group, who was afraid of death, interrupted him loudly before he could finish speaking.

Marquis Qingyuan mumbled something indistinctly, and it was unclear what he was saying next.

Gu Zhizhuo sneered repeatedly.

"Master, that's no good. You don't need to show mercy just because of the young master."

Back then, the young master's parents had just died, and he was all alone and helpless in the capital.

This so-called uncle was the first to arrive.

The young master said that he originally thought the Marquis of Qingyuan had come to offer condolences, but who would have thought that his purpose was to persuade the young master to commit suicide, and he even said it in a very nice way, saying that it was to appease the late emperor and that the young master should not worry about his own life or death, but should be filial.

Ultimately, it was because they were afraid of implicating the Qingyuan Marquis's family.

In her previous life, after the young master brought her back to the capital, during the most difficult period, the Qingyuan Marquis's mansion not only did not lend a hand, but also avoided the young master like the plague. Even when they met face to face, they acted as if they did not know each other.

This life is the same.

When the young master first returned, they immediately severed ties with him.

Later, Xie Rong fell ill, the young master took power, and the Rong family sided with him again.

It's only natural for the Rong family to fear death and being implicated; it would be fine if they stayed far away. What angered Gu Zhizhuo was that they shouldn't have pushed their young master when he was most desperate and helpless, almost as if they were about to put a white silk noose around his neck.

"I am the Emperor's maternal uncle, how could I not side with him?!" Marquis Qingyuan shouted. "The Rong family and he are related by blood."

He said drunkenly, "It is the duty of a subject to be concerned about what the emperor is concerned about. I am not like that Duke of Wei, hiccup, who only knows how to flatter and fawn."

Mr. An quickly replied, "You're right."

His breath hitched slightly, but Marquis Qingyuan did not notice.

"My lord, your idea is excellent. The Emperor will surely appreciate your good intentions. My lord, I would like to offer you a toast."

"Of course."

After downing a cup of wine, Marquis Qingyuan said smugly, "My nephew prides himself on being benevolent and righteous, wanting to be a benevolent ruler like his father. What he fears most is being accused of discarding someone after they've served their purpose, just like a deposed emperor. Of course, I, as his uncle, cannot sit idly by. *Hiccup*"

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled and pointed at Shen Xu: "An easy target?"

Shen Xu glanced at her sideways and chuckled.

She shook her head: "It doesn't seem like it."

The person next door slammed their hand on the table, making a loud banging noise.

Marquis Qingyuan rambled on, his words dripping with resentment: "Shen Xu controls the court, forms cliques for personal gain, and treacherous officials hold sway. How can I, Marquis Qingyuan, serve in the same court as such a villain? The Rong family has been loyal and virtuous for generations... loyal, loyal and virtuous!"

"Lord, Lord Marquis." Mr. An's voice trembled violently.

"Who could possibly tolerate him if they were in that position..."

Shen Xu held the wine cup, taking small sips, his eyelids lowered, concealing the emotions in his eyes.

Gu Zhizhu slammed his hand on the octagonal table.

Some people are like that; they like to assume others' thoughts based on their own.

Shen Xu has never been at odds with the young master, so why must the young master suppress him?

Even if one doesn't understand this relationship, the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are in charge of opening up the eyes and ears of the enemy. Such an important task would not be easily entrusted to them unless they are trusted.

“Young Master is right.” Gu Zhizhuo sneered, “There are always people in the court and among the people who love to speculate on the Emperor’s intentions.”

opinionated!

Marquis Qingyuan severed ties with the young master early on, and they parted ways amicably.

The young master would certainly not show them any leniency because of mere blood ties, nor would he strip them of their titles or imprison them for personal revenge.

After being sidelined for more than two years, the Marquis of Qingyuan began to feel resentful. Perhaps it was because there had been more and more memorials impeaching Shen Xu in the past six months, and he thought he had guessed the emperor's intentions and wanted to make a contribution.

"I'm so angry." Gu Zhizhuo stood up and said, "Watch me go beat him up."

She said this with a slight smile.

After saying that, she left without waiting for his response, and Qingmei quickly followed behind.

There were only four private rooms on the third floor. The soundproofing in the private rooms was excellent, and they were very quiet inside. However, as soon as you stepped out, you could hear the singing and cheering from the main hall, which was very lively. She looked around and determined that the Marquis of Qingyuan was in the private room on the right, so she went straight there.

Bang.

She kicked the door open, and the door slammed heavily against the wall, shaking back and forth.

Marquis Qingyuan leaned against the octagonal table, his eyes glazed with drunkenness: "...His parents are both gone, and he has no one to talk to. As his own uncle, I have to worry about him more..."

His voice stopped abruptly, and he looked up.

Two red lanterns hung at the entrance to the private room, and the dim candlelight cast dappled shadows on Gu Zhizhuo's face, making it difficult for Qingyuan Marquis to recognize him at first glance. Seeing that the other person was dressed in a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), he said impatiently, "If I wanted to listen to music, I would have called you."

"go out."

He suddenly grabbed the wine cup on the table and threw it. He was so drunk and weak that the cup didn't fly far before it hit the ground with a crack, splashing wine everywhere.

"How boring! A perfectly good brothel, all you can do is listen to music! If I only want to listen to music, why would I come to your brothel?"

Gu Zhizhuo strode in, walked straight to the drunken Qingyuan Marquis, and grabbed him by the collar.

She can now easily draw a bow with the strength of a stone, and with that strength, she can easily lift a drunken Qingyuan Marquis.

Without saying a word, she swung a punch, which turned the Marquis of Qingyuan's face to the side, causing his nose to bleed profusely.

Then came two more punches, followed by throwing him to the ground. Qingyuan Hou let out a muffled groan of pain: "You...you..."

Sheng Jiang, who hurriedly followed, was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.

This… He thought Miss Gu was just saying it casually, but she actually hit her! Bah, he's been misled. What Miss Gu, it's the Empress!

There was a moment of silence in the private room.

The servant rushed over to support his master. Qingping Hou had been beaten black and blue, and the smell of alcohol had dissipated somewhat.

The servant demanded fiercely, "How dare you! Do you know who our master is?"

Gu Zhizhuo picked up the wine pot on the octagonal table, raised his hand, and splashed it at Marquis Qingping.

The icy wine poured down, drenching Qingping Hou's head and face.

Marquis Qingping jolted awake, his drunkenness instantly dissipating by eighty percent. He whimpered softly in pain, frantically wiping the wine from his face, his wet hair plastered to his forehead. He squinted, finally making out the person standing before him.

The next moment, he exclaimed, "That jealous woman surnamed Gu..."

Gu Zhizhuo: "Hmm?"

Qing Pingyuan gasped, the words he hadn't finished saying stuck between his teeth: "Your Majesty, Empress."

Empress?

Jiang recognized her. After all, it's rare to see someone so easily fooled as to carry around ten thousand taels of silver. Jiang was also thinking about collecting the remaining balance after the exam, so of course he remembered her well.

His voice trembled: "Your Majesty... Empress?"

If she is the empress, then the one with her, could it be...?

Jiang Xuezi's heart sank immediately.

He cautiously backed away, trying to take the opportunity to slip away.

Before he could even reach the doorway, he was kicked back. Sheng Jiang withdrew his leg and obediently stepped aside.

Shen Xu walked in and saw Gu Zhizhu kicking Qingyuan Hou in a fit of anger.

There were no other guests on the third floor.

Sheng Jiang closed the door and brought out two chairs—the chairs were moved from the private room where they had just been sitting, and he wiped them again and again with a silk handkerchief.

"What...what do you want to do?"

Marquis Qingyuan stared at Gu Zhizhuo in disbelief, almost unable to believe his eyes.

Why, why is she here?!

He first looked at Gu Zhizhuo, then at Shen Xu, who was sitting upright in the chair.

Why are the two of them standing together?

The alcohol slowed his thinking considerably, and he began to try to recall if he had said anything wrong.

In terms of social standing, Empress Gu was his niece-in-law and should have been the closest to the Rong family. However, his wife had sent her a plaque several times, wanting to bring her daughter to request an audience, but she had never accepted the plaque.

Aside from the grand New Year's greetings, she never even issued a separate summons.

Even if the Marquis of Qingyuan were completely muddled, he wouldn't feel that she was close to his family.

Seeing that she had come with ill intentions, Marquis Qingyuan preemptively questioned her, "Your Majesty, how could you come to such a brothel?! Such a lack of manners warrants my impeachment."

Gu Zhizhuo stepped on him, interrupting him: "Where did the test questions come from?"

Marquis Qingping now holds only a nominal title and lives off his ancestors' wealth; it's impossible for him to have access to the special imperial examination questions. In other words, he obtained these questions from elsewhere.

"you……"

He wanted to say, "How did you know?" but quickly shut up.

I don't think I mentioned the exam questions earlier, did I? I'm not sure, let me think about it some more.

His mind was a jumbled mess: "Mr. An..." He looked at Mr. An, his eyes asking himself what he had just said.

Mr. An lowered his head, his legs trembling like leaves, and he knelt down with a thud.

The private room was filled with people kneeling on the floor.

The Eastern Depot was always efficient and decisive. After discovering that the matter was related to the Marquis of Qingyuan, Wu Shang immediately arrested Mr. An, the Marquis's advisor, and interrogated him thoroughly. He then had Mr. An summon the Marquis of Qingyuan to hear his "confession." Of course, if the Marquis of Qingyuan hadn't been Xie Yingchen's maternal uncle, and if Shen Xu hadn't had his doubts, the Eastern Depot wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Gu Zhizhuo: "Not going to talk?"

He shouted angrily, "Your Majesty, I am the Emperor's maternal uncle. Aren't you afraid of the Emperor's wrath for treating me like this!"

The next moment, Gu Zhizhuo put down the foot that was stepping on him.

Marquis Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his words had frightened him. He was about to put on airs as an uncle again when Gu Zhizhuo turned around and said, "Chief Eunuch, it's yours. Investigate as needed, question as needed, confiscate as needed..."

She chuckled softly, then said, "Kill them if they deserve it."

Gu Zhizhuo flicked his sleeve and said matter-of-factly, "The Grand Supervisor is in charge of the capital's affairs and has the responsibility to supervise all officials. Those who commit cheating in the imperial examinations and frame others are guilty of crimes punishable by death."

These words sent chills down the spine of Marquis Qingyuan. He shouted in a fit of rage, "A hen crowing at dawn, a wicked empress ruling the roost! Is this the behavior of a wise ruler?"

Gu Zhizhu smiled gently and sat back down in his chair.

She rested her elbow on the armrest, propped her chin on her hand, and said with a smile, "Go on, continue."

"Are you going to recruit now?"

"Let's go to the Eastern Depot's prison to confess again."

"However, Marquis Qingyuan, you framed the Eastern Depot. Tell me, if you go to this imperial prison, will you lose a hand first, a leg, or a tongue?"

Shen Xu leaned back in the armchair, a faint smile playing on his lips, his peach blossom eyes slightly hazy in the candlelight of the lantern.

The Eastern Depot's punishments were horrific. Marquis Qingyuan was terrified and screamed, "Your Majesty, Chen'er! Chen'er!"

He stumbled to his feet and slammed his head toward the door.

"beat."

Gu Zhizhuo spoke coldly.

Sheng Jiang raised the hilt of his sword, using it as a staff, and struck him on the back with a "smack".

A note from the author: